Cockroaches in Kentucky: which ones you have, and why it matters

What cockroaches live in Kentucky homes?

Two kinds, and they behave so differently that they are really two separate problems.

The German cockroach is "by far the most common cockroach infesting homes and buildings" [1]. It is small, it lives indoors with people, and it stays indoors.

The larger species — American and Oriental cockroaches — prefer basements, crawlspaces and outdoor areas [1]. They turn up inside, but they are coming in from somewhere rather than living in the kitchen cabinet.

Knowing which one you have matters more than it sounds, because it decides where the treatment has to reach.

How do you tell a German cockroach from the bigger ones?

Start with size and where you found it.

• Size. German cockroaches are small. American cockroaches are among the largest that come indoors.
• Where. German cockroaches are "most common in kitchens and bathrooms", because that is where they find the warmth, moisture and food they need [1]. A roach in the basement or crawlspace is more likely one of the larger species [1].
• Whether you see them at all. Cockroaches "spend little time out in the open" [1]. Seeing one in daylight in a kitchen usually means there are many more you have not seen.

Why do German cockroaches spread between rooms and apartments?

Because they travel through the building, not across the floor.

German cockroaches "often travel between rooms or adjoining apartments via walls, ceilings, pipes, wires and other openings" [1]. The larger species are less mobile [1].

That is why a German cockroach problem in an apartment building is rarely one apartment's problem. It is also why treating a single room often does very little: the population is using the structure itself as a corridor.

What attracts cockroaches?

German cockroaches need three things: "warmth, moisture, and food" [1]. Kitchens and bathrooms supply all three, which is why that is where they concentrate.

They also gather for a reason people do not expect. Cockroaches congregate "in response to aggregating odors in their feces" [1] — the places they have already been become the places they keep returning to. That is part of why an infestation settles into particular cracks and crevices and stays there.

Does a clean house get cockroaches?

Yes. This is the part worth saying plainly.

Cleanliness matters — University of Kentucky entomologists describe it as "an important step in preventing and correcting problems", and recommend clearing food waste, storing food in sealed containers and reducing clutter [1].

But the same source is clear that "even clean homes can become infested" [1]. In an apartment building especially, a household can do everything right and still get German cockroaches through the walls from a neighbouring unit.

If you have cockroaches, it is not a verdict on your housekeeping.

Why doesn't store-bought spray fix it?

Because the roaches are not where the spray goes.

Cockroaches spend most of their time hidden in cracks and crevices, and treatments fail when they miss those harbourages [1]. Spraying along a baseboard where you saw one treats the route, not the population — and a German cockroach population that is travelling through wall voids and around pipes is mostly somewhere a spray can cannot reach.

Proper placement is the whole job. That is the difference between knocking down the few you can see and dealing with the ones you cannot.

How does Liberty handle each kind?

The two problems are handled differently, and it is worth knowing which one you are asking about.

American cockroaches and the other larger species are covered by every plan. They are part of general pest control, treated on the regular schedule inside and outside, along with the ants, spiders and mice a plan covers.

German cockroaches are a separate treatment. They are not a plan pest. A German cockroach job is quoted after an inspection and arranged by phone rather than booked online, because what the treatment needs to do depends on how far the population has spread and what it is travelling through.

When to call a professional

Call when you are seeing cockroaches in the kitchen in daylight, when they come back after cleaning and store-bought spray, or when you live in an apartment and the problem is not only yours.

The inspection settles which species you have, and that decides the rest: the larger cockroaches are handled on your regular pest control visits, while a German cockroach population moving through the building needs its own quoted treatment.

Common questions

Are cockroaches common in Kentucky?

Yes. The German cockroach is the most common cockroach in homes and buildings generally, and Kentucky homes are no exception [1].

What is the difference between a German cockroach and an American cockroach?

Size and habit. German cockroaches are small, live indoors in kitchens and bathrooms, and move between rooms through walls and pipes. American cockroaches are much larger and prefer basements, crawlspaces and outdoors, coming inside from there [1].

Why do I only see cockroaches at night?

Cockroaches spend little time in the open [1]. Seeing them during the day in a kitchen usually means the population is larger than what is visible.

Can a clean house still get roaches?

Yes. Cleanliness helps and is worth doing, but even clean homes become infested [1] — particularly in apartments, where German cockroaches travel between units through the structure.

Do pest control plans cover cockroaches?

American cockroaches and the other larger species are covered by every Liberty plan. German cockroaches are not; they are a separate treatment, quoted after an inspection.

Sources

1. University of Kentucky Entomology. Michael F. Potter. "Cockroach Elimination in Homes and Apartments" (ENTFACT-614). https://entomology.mgcafe.uky.edu/ef614 ↗ (opens in a new tab)